Mount Sanqingshan
三清山 · Yushan County and Dexing, Shangrao, Jiangxi, China
A World Natural Heritage peak forest known for its 48 granite peaks and 89 granite pillars, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
Know before you go
- Do not talk loudly in temples or casually touch statues of deities and offering vessels
- do not run on boardwalks or cliffside walkways, or lean out over the railings for photos
- do not pick plants or carve rocks and trees
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
Legend
Ge Hong and the Three Pure Ones
Legend has it that the Eastern Jin Taoist Ge Hong came to Mount Sanqingshan to make elixirs, and that three white-haired old men who appeared on the summit were the Three Pure Ones. This is a legend, and accounts of when Ge Hong was here also vary.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Mount Sanqingshan, a famous Taoist mountain, lies on the border between Yushan County and Dexing City in Shangrao. According to UNESCO, the property covers 22,950 hectares at the western end of the Huaiyu Mountains and rises to 1,817 metres, with a dense concentration of fantastically shaped peaks and pillars; its granite landforms, together with the vegetation and weather, create ever-changing seas of cloud, solar haloes and white rainbows, and the park also has forests, several waterfalls (some up to 60 metres high), lakes and springs. The mountain's name likens its three peaks, Yujing, Yuxu and Yuhua, to the three supreme Taoist deities — Yuqing, Shangqing and Taiqing — seated on the summit. Chinese guide materials describe the old Sanqing Palace complex as laid out according to the eight trigrams and call it an "open-air museum of Taoist architecture", though accounts vary.
Local customs
- Take the cable car up, then follow the high-level boardwalk loop to see rock pillars named for what they resemble, such as the Goddess of the East and the Giant Python Emerging from the Mountain
- visit the Sanqing Palace area for old Taoist buildings and stone carvings
- see the alpine azaleas in spring, and the sea of clouds and sunrise at dawn and dusk.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Do not talk loudly in temples or casually touch statues of deities and offering vessels
- do not run on boardwalks or cliffside walkways, or lean out over the railings for photos
- do not pick plants or carve rocks and trees
Locals appreciate DO
- Keep a respectful quiet in Taoist temples
- carry your rubbish down the mountain
- put safety and the scenic area's advice first in fog
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- The mountain is windy with big temperature swings, so bring a windproof jacket and non-slip shoes
- the boardwalks have many steps, so choose a loop length that suits your fitness
- when fog cuts visibility, follow safety and official advice and don't insist on seeing the sunrise or sea of clouds. Most visitors travel first to the Yushan area and then take scenic-area transport up
- on the mountain, getting around is mainly by cable car and boardwalk trails. For tickets and cable-car fares, refer to official announcements.
- Late spring and early summer, when the alpine azaleas bloom, is the signature flowering season
- autumn brings high skies and good visibility
- after winter snow the peaks are striking, but watch out for icy paths
- summer is rainy and misty, with a good chance of a sea of clouds but also a chance of seeing nothing at all.
Sources & verification notes
UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Mount Sanqingshan National Park
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